Pope Leo XIV made a rare criticism of living conditions for inmates in Equatorial Guinea's notorious prisons during a tightly controlled visit to Bata prison.
He told 600 detainees that the administration of justice must promote the dignity of every person and stressed the importance of respect for the rights of every citizen.
The visit came after the pope launched a rare criticism of living conditions in the country's prisons, which have been accused of torture, extreme overcrowding and deplorable sanitary conditions.
During his 11-day African tour, Pope Leo has called for greater freedom and human dignity to be safeguarded in the country, which has been accused of stifling freedom of expression.
